Pipe scraper



May 14, 1946. W, .GROCOFF 2,400,196.

`PIPE scRAPER' Filed June 12, 19214 Patented May 14, 1946 ff.

UNITED i i STATES PATENT DFFICE PIPE soRAPER William Grocofl", SanFrancisco, Calif. Application Junelz, 1944, serial No. 530,919

` (ci. isi-246) i claims.

The present invention relatesto improvements in pipe Scrapers and hasparticular reference to a convenient tool for scraping the inside of thebowl of a smoking pipe.v

More particularly, my invention is an improvement over my previousinventions of a pipe cleaner described in my United States Patent No.1,249,618 and in my copending application for Letters Patent, SerialNumber 510,441, `now Patent No. 2,360,560. f In my prior patents it wasproposed 'to mount the two pipe scraping blades on Opposite' sides of ahandle and to provide springs on the outside oi the handle to exertpressure on opposite ends of the blades-forV urging the same apart andinto scraping contactwith the inner face of the pipe bowl.

In the present invention itis proposed to pro vide a simpler and moreattractive pipe scraper of neat appearance,` which distinguishes fromthe prior structures principally in the fact that the spring means isconcealed within the handle.

It is further proposed in the present invention to provide interlockingmeans for the two blades inside the handle and to provide a Singlespring bearing on the blades intermediate the lengths thereof, wherebythe blades are left free to oscillate about the ends of the spring foradjusting themselves to the shape of the pipe bowl.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thespecification proceeds, and the novel features of my improvements willbe clearly defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is il1ustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, forming f part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front View of my pipe scraper, as applied to the bowlof a pipe;

Figure 2, a similar front view of the pipe scraper, with one plateremoved to show the interior construction;

Figure 3, a vertical section through the pipe scraper taken along line3-3 of Figure 1 with the lower portion of a distant blade omitted; and

Figure 4, a front view similar to that of Figure 2, but with the bladesosoillated into a dilerent position.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish tohave it understood that various changes or modifications may be madewithin the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my pipe scraper I comprises in itsprincipal features, a

handle or manipulating element 2, a pair of blades 3 and a spring 4bearing on the blades.

The handle 2 is made of two complementary plates 5 and 6, preferablyidentical in construe tion, and disposed face to face, suitablefastening means such as rivets 1, being provided for securing the platesto one another.

In general outline the plates 5 and 6 are formed to provide a verticalstem 8 and a horizontal crosshead 9 furnishing a handheld for theoperator.`

An intermediate, portion I0 of the stem is widened and the two platesmaking up the stem are formed with off-sets, as at II, to provide a fiatcavity I2 between the same, this cavity, extending through the widenedportion from side to side.

The blades 3 are made of thin metal strips and correspond in thicknesssubstantially to the thickness of the cavity, each blade having an outercutting edge I3 corresponding substantially to the contour of the pipe.The blades are disposed on `opposite sides of the stem and in the planeof the cavity.

Each blade has a pair of ngers I4 projecting into the cavity, thefingers of one pair straddling those of the other, and the fingers beinginterlocked for limited freedom of lateral motion by means of toes I5.

The spring 4 is interposed between the blades so as to urge the sameapart and is accommodated in opposing grooves II in the plates making upthe handle. The spring bears upon the blades substantially midway oftheir lengths so as to allow of a certain amount of oscillating motionabout the end of the spring.

The t between the iingers and the toes is sufliciently loose to permitsuch movement and to allow each blade to adjust itself to the contour ofthe pipe bowl in connection with which the scraper is used. The springmay be anchored to theblades by means of small projecting prongs I5.

It will be noted that my pipe scraper is extremely simple inconstruction. The two sections of the handle are exactly alike and maybe used interchangeably. They, as well as the blades, may be readilystamped out of any desirable piece of sheet metal or other material.

For assembly, the blades and the spring are placed on one of the handleplates in the manner shown in Figure 2, whereupon the second plate isplaced on top and riveted in place.

When inserted into the bowl for scraping purposes, the blades are urgedtoward one another t0 compress the spring and are free to swing on theouter ends of the spring to adjust themselves to the shape of th'e bowland they are at the same time urged into scraping contact with the wallof the bowl.

As the scraper is turned, the blades will cut into the layer of carbonor other foreign material usually found on the inside of the pipe bowl,and the spring will tend to force the blades apart and to deepen the cuton successive turns.

I claim:

l. A pipe scraper of `the character described, comprising a pair ofcomplementary plates arranged in face to face relation and havingregistering intermediate oT-sets to form a iiat cavity between the same,a pair of blades arranged on opposite sides of the plates and havingmeans within the cavity for interlocking the blades with limited freedomof sliding motion, and a spring within the cavity for urging the bladesapart.

2. A pipe scraper of the character described, comprising a pair ofcomplementary plates arranged in face-to-face relation and havingregistering intermediate off-sets to form a flat cavity between thesame, a pair of blades arranged on opposite sides of the plates, andhaving means with'in the cavity for interlocking the blades with limitedfreedom of sliding motion, and a spring within the cavity for urging theblades apart, the plates being shaped at one end to provide amanipulating handle.

3. A pipe scraper of the character described, comprising a pair fcomplementary plates arranged in face-to-face relation and havingregistering intermediate off-sets to form a iiat cavity between thesame, a pair of blades arranged on opposite sides of the plates andhaving fingers extending into the cavity, means for interlocking thengers within the cavity with limited freedom of sliding movement, and aspring within the cavity for urging the blades apart.

4. A pipe scraper of the character described, comprising a pair ofcomplementary plates arranged in face-to-face relation and havingregistering intermediate oi-sets to form a fiat cavity between the same,a pair of blades arranged on opposite sides of the plates and havinglingers extending into the cavity, means for interlocking the fingerswithin the cavity with' limited freedom of sliding movement, and aspring within the cavity for urging the blades apart, the plates havinglateral extensions at one end thereof to furnish a handle formanipulating the scraper.

5. In a pipe scraper of the character described, a pair of bladesarranged in spaced and opposing relation, a pair of fingers extendingfrom one of the blades toward the other and having outwardly projectingtoes, a second pair of fingers extending from the second blade so as toride on the toes and having toes riding on the rst pair of fingers, aspring inside the two pairs of ngers and tending to urge the bladesapart, and means for holding the blades and the fingers in coplanarrelation.

6. In a pipe scraper of the character described, a pair of bladesarranged in spaced and opposing relation, a pair of fingers extendingfrom one of the blades toward the other and having outwardly projectingtoes, a second pair of lingers extending from the second blade so as toride on the toes and having toes riding on the first pair of fingers, aspring inside the two pairs of ingers and tending to urge the bladesapart, and means for holding the blades and the fingers in coplanarrelation, the latter means having a handhold associated therewithwhereby the scraper may be turned.

'7. A. pipe scraper of the character described, comprising a pair ofcomplementary plates arranged in face-to-face relation and havingregistering intermediate off-sets to form a flat cavity between thesame, a pair of blades arranged on opposite sides of the plates andhaving means within the cavity for interlocking the blades with limitedfreedom of sliding and rocking motion, and a spring within the cavityfor urging the blades apart.

WILLIAM GROCOFF.

